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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · hide · coach · race · bass · mouse · kid · board

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — to get on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. board — a committee
  19. bass — the fish
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com